The Melbourne Zoo Bird Department
by Ian Smith, Senior Birdkeeper, Bird Department, Melbourne Zoo Victoria, Australia
he Melhourne Zoo is one of only four major zoos in T Australia. It is also one of the largest, covering 52 acres, and is situated in the Illiddle of a large inner city parkland, and only five minutes hy car from the center of Melhourne. Animals from Australia and all over the world ar displayed in land 'caped enclosures. Sonle exhihits are located in Bio-Clirnatic zones which is the heginning of the zoo's masterplan. Tbe ,!!, rcat jlight ol'imy. This plan will 'ee the zoo divided into Bio-Climatic Zones, including Asian and African Rainforests and Australian Eucalypt Woodland. Each zone will have species of animals on display that are indigenous to the specific habitat. The Bird Department has over 141 'pecies represented by over 900 indi vidual birds froin Australia and around the world. Most are on display in a range of landscaped aviaries and open roofed exhibits, while a small number of birds are in the extensive off-limit quarantine and hospital complex. The bird displays are located around the zoo grounds and include aviaries, lakes, and ponds which are landscaped and planted to represent particular habitats, including Rainforest and Woodland. I would now like to take you on a tour of the bird displays at the
Melbourne Zoo and show you our dis- / 1 l'iC'll' q/ tbe I(){'(!/Jird e.YbiIJit. Look c(/rc:/i"~~I./()r the !it/Ie birds. plays and collection.
the afa \VATCI-IBIRD 47 J African Rainforest Our first stop is the African Rainforest where we climb a wooden boardwalk to the Arboreal Primate Complex. The two aviaries are glass fronted at tree-top height and are planted as Rainforest Aviaries. The exhibit brings us face to face with a pair of African Grey Parrots P sittacus erithacus who might be mimicking the high pitched call of the White-cheeked Gibbons next door. The next aviary is at the other end of the boardwalk and this has a group of Fischer's Lovebirds Agapomis fischeri.
~ E The Asian Rice Field Aviary (f) c ~ We continue through the African > .0 Rainforest and enter the Asian oCI) Rainforest where we come to the first 2a.. of the Zoo's newest aviaries "The A \'(Ihitc-broll'cd ,\'ioodsl('o//oll' Asian Rice Field Aviary." Entry is via an entrance foyer which removes reflec la, Blue-faced Parrot Finch E1ythrura tions from the floor to ceiling glass trichroa) and Siamese Fireback across the front of the aviary. This Pheasant Lophura diardi. The two allows clear viewing of the aviary with Asian Rainforest aviaries are deSigned out the distraction of wire-mesh. The for easy viewing. Because the roof theme of this aviary is how many birds angles upwards towards the rear of the adapt and can actually benefit from aviary it gives no real indication of the man-made changes to their environ . depth; the foliage is thick and so IUO ' t ment. The main feature is a three of the frame is hidden which further tiered rice paddy field surrounded by improves the illusion that you are actu rainforest. The design represents an ally in the birds' habitat. area of Asian Rainforest, which has Leaving the Asian Rainforest we been modified by humans but is still a walk past the Kangaroo Exhibits. We home for birds. are now at the beginning of a bank of Black-winged Stilts Himantopus aviaries with a large range of Australian himantopus and Sacred Kingfishers parrots, passerines Csoftbill) and Todiramphus sanctus are two species pigeons. When built in the 1960s the that use the rice field both in the aviary complex consisted of 52 individual and in the wild. aviaries specifically for parrot breeding The other species include the Dusky with one pair of birds in each. A few Lory Pseudeos fuscata and the Emerald years ago the complex was re-devel Dove Chalcophaps indica, these birds oped by the reruoval of several dividing use the rainforest. Rice is grown and walls to increase the aviaries sizes and harvested each year in the aviary by the reduce the total number of aviaries to keepers and horticultural staff. 15. Landscaping and planting was com pleted to create displays representing Asian Rainforest Aviary different areas of the Australian wilder The next aviary is the Asian ness including grassland, coastal, wood Rainforest Aviary, which is of the same land, and rainforest. design as the previous one - it is plant The birds displayed feature parrot ed and landscaped to represent a small species including Scarlet-chested PalTot clearing surrounded by foliage. A small Neophema splendida, Bourke's Parrot number of birds are housed in this Neopsephotus bourkii, Cloncurry Parrot aviary so as to avoid damage to the Barnardius zonarius macgillivrayi, foliage. The birds include the Plum Princess Parrot Polytelis alexandrae The C/oJtcllny Rill!!,Jleck Parrot headed Parakeet PsittcK.ula cyanocepha- Golden-shouldered Parrot Psephotus
48 January/February 2000 chrysopterygius, and Purple-Crowned Zoo. The Great Flight Aviary is a 40- Cockatiels Nymphicus hollandicus, Lorikeet Clossopsitta porphyrocephala. year-old; 110 yards long and 33 yards Red-winged Parrots Aprosmictus ery Rainforest birds include Regent high walkthrough aviary. It is divided thropterus and Red-tailed Black Bowerbird Sericulus chrysocephalus into three habitat zones Rainforest Cockatoos Calyptorhynchus banskii. and Rose-crowned Fruit Dove Wetland, and Woodland. Entering into The aviary has over 30 species of birds Ptilinopus regina. Passerines (soft the Rainforest you see a Satin in total including water birds, ground bills or song birds) include Superb Bowerbird Ptilonorhynchus violaceus, birds, parrots, and passerines. Nearly Fairy-wren Malurus cyaneus and Common Bronzewing Phaps chal all of the species breed and raise White-browed Woodswallow Attamus coptera and Australian Brush-turkey young in the aviary. Certain species in superciliosus. Alectura lathami. the collection breed only in this aviary. You continue walking along an ele Flightless Birds vated wooden boardwalk which is par Assorted Smaller Aviaries Opposite the above aviaries are the alel to the avia!)' wall. The walkway Our next stop is a circular aviary, Flightless Bird (Ratite) enclosures, crosses to the opposite side using a divided into eight separate aviaries with which are large yards with Southern large swing bridge which also serves as Australian species of birds in land Cassowary Casuarius casuarius, a division from the Wetland Zone scaped displays representing Rainforest, Ostrich Struthio camelus and Greater where you are at eye level with White Woodland, and Grassland habitats. The Rhea Rhea americana. A pair of Brolga faced Heron Egretta novaehollandiae birds include Eclectus Parrot Eclectus Crus rubicunda are next to the Rhea. and Glossy Ibis Plegadis Jalcinellus, to roratus, Eastern Whipbird Psophodes They have been at the zoo for over 30 name but a few. The walkway comes to olivaceus, Laughing Kookaburra Dacelo years and have bred successfully eve!), a pier, which looks out over a large novaeguineae and Australian King year for most of this time. water area where a family of Blue-billed Parrot Alisterus scapularis. Ducks Oxyura australis is swimming. A large selection of fmches from The Great Flight Aviary The walkway continues and Australia and the world can be seen in When we walk to the end of the descends down to the water level and two aviaries designed especially for path in front of the Ratite yards we crosses using a pontoon bridge. Rising these active birds. The aviaries are next enter one of the feature exhibits of the up to the previous height you see to each other and have a shelter across
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the afa WATCHBIRD 49 the rear, which is both the feed area and nesting area with hrush for nest building. The birds breed and raise their young in the aviary by thelTIselves. ll1e fronts of the aviaries are landscaped with large bushes and grasses for ground cover. Species include Cuban Grassquit Tiaris canora, Blue-faced Parrotfinch Erythrura trichroa, Pictorella Mannikin Heteromunia pec toralis, Painted Finch Emblema pictum, and Star Finch Neochmia ruficauda,. One of the aviaries also has a group of Hermann's Tortoises Testudo her manni, which is a small land tortoise from the Mediterranean region; these live happily with the birds. The tortois es stay in the aviary all-year-round and breed regularly each summer although The Asia II rice JJ(/ ( /{~) " e.xbibil. the eggs are incubated and hatched in the reptile department. There are a number of birds of prey and carnivorous bird species in sever al aviaries that vary in size and design from a very large wire and cable aviary with Little Eagles Hieraaetus mor phnoides and Whistling Kites Haliastur !:>phenurus. Two aviaries feature woodland species including the Blue-winged Kookaburra Dacelo leach ii, Tawny Frogmouth Podargus strig 0 ides, and Bush Stone-curlew Burhinus grallar ius. Several Australian owl species are on display around the Zoo and these include 'Barking Owl Ninox connivens, Southern Boobook Owl Ninox novae seelandiae and,Barn Owl Tyto alba. A ll auiell)! cOlllplr?x We are currently doing a lot of inten I/sed pril7la ril)"./or sive husbandry with nest-building, suit breediJ lg parm ts, able pairings, and diets, to breed as many of these species as possible, as many are not easily bred in captivity.
Popular Little Penguins One of the most popular exhibits is the Little Penguin Eudyptula minor exhibit, which has a large freshwater pool and is landscaped with coastal plants and sand dunes so as to repre sent the natural habitat of this bird along the coast of Australia. This is the most successful breeding group of this P I I 71)/r? -CI'O II 'Jlcr/ spec~es in the world, producing about L()J 'ikee! eight chicks a year. Burrows are built into the dunes and the penguins incu bate and raise their young in these bur rows. The birds range in age from last
50 Ja nuaty / February 2000 year's young to some birds over 18 raptors, finches, parrots, or waterfowl. years old. The penguins are all hand The displays are landscaped to resem fed fish by the keepers twice daily and ble the natural habitat of the birds a presentation is given each afternoon using plants, natural perches, rocks for visitors when the keeper explains etc. Some species can provide proh the species and their captive hus lems if they are destructive such as bandry. parrots, and in these cases a plant that isn't palatable is chosen. Mixed Species Exhibits Plants can also he very important Mixed species exhibits are a new for the birds to use for shelter, nest area that we are developing, to create building and areas to get away from more naturalistic exhibits that allow other hirds. birds to co-exist with other types of ani Breeding for most species in the mals. A group of Australian Bustard zoo begins in October and continues Ardeotis australis is in the same large through to March (late spring to early open exhibit as a group of large Black autumn here in Australia), although striped Wallabies Macropus dorsalis some species breed all year round. These two species were chosen as they The Little Penguins begin in July and naturally occur in the same habitat. continue through to November. The bustards settled in well and Generally all the birds will breed in bred last year for the first time at the aviaries, although some species Melbourne Zoo, although the chick need to be housed as pairs, such as was incubated and handraised by the some Passerines so as to avoid distur keepers. The chick was re-introduced hance from other birds, or in a quiet to the group and was accepted with aviary not on public view. Birds of out any problems. prey often require quiet aviaries for Other mixed species exhibits hreeding success, as they are very include a juvenile brolga on display secretive birds. The keepers supply with a small group of the Red -necked nesting requirements such as nest Wallaby Macropus ruJogriseus. A pair hoxes and logs, materials for nest of Egyptian Geese lives happily with weavers including seagrass, paper our male Pygmy Hippopotamus. hark, human and animal hair, and grasses. The boxes and logs are sup Behind the Scenes plied to suit each species including The areas off limits to the public con size, location and number. sists of aviaries and open-roofed yards, The weather in Melbourne is fairly which can hold any of the species in mild with winters in Melbourne only the collection. The off-limit holding producing snow very occasionally and areas are used for pre-shipment and summers only having a small number post-shipment quarantine, and sick or of really hot days. The mild climate injured birds which are recuperating, means that we are ahle to house birds and for intensive breeding. in outside aviaries all year round. The bird department has a bird hos Shelter is provided usually at the rear pital which can house any species of the exhibits with a roof of metal or from newly hatched chicks to large fiherglass sheeting. Heating is provid parrot-sized species. The hospital is ed via ceramic bulbs in certain aviaries temperature controlled and designed for species that are affected by the to allow the hospital keepers to treat cold including the Golden-shouldered and recuperate the sick and injured Parrots Psephotus chrysopterygius and birds brought in from both the collec Gouldian Finch Erythrura gouldiae. In tion and from public donations. summer the aviaries are kept cool Nine keepers maintain the bird col with water spray systems which the lection and the displays are divided birds really enjoy as they can have a into five grounds, with a selection of wash and preen. exhibits on each. Each enclosure is I hope you have enjoyed the tour of cleaned and the birds are checked the zoo and, if you ever visit Australia, each morning. The aviaries are please come and visit Melbourne Zoo designed for specific species such as and experience it for yourself. ..
the afa WATCHBIRD 51